When blockbuster trades go down in the NBA -- or any sport, really -- it's natural for all of the initial reaction to be about basketball and how the deal will impact the teams on the court. However, there's also a very human element to trades, especially when they happen seemingly out of nowhere. Players have to suddenly pack up and head to another city, and even when you're incredibly rich, that's still hard. 

And that is why Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri took some time at his press conference Friday to apologize to DeMar DeRozan as a person. One of the centerpieces of the Raptors during their recent resurgence, DeRozan was under the impression he wouldn't be going anywhere. Then, all of a sudden, he was a San Antonio Spur, sent to Texas along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Just because the trade made sense from a basketball perspective didn't make it easy on a personal one. Via ESPN:

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri apologized for "miscommunication" with DeMar DeRozan leading up to the four-time All-Star's trade to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

"I had a conversation with DeMar at summer league, and I really want to leave it at that," Ujiri said Friday. "We spoke ... I think maybe my mistake was talking about what we expected going forward from him. So, not necessarily talking about a trade but what I expect from him going forward, and I think that's where the gap was."

Sources close to DeRozan had told ESPN's Chris Haynes that DeRozan met with Toronto officials in Las Vegas during summer league and believed that he would not be traded.

Ujiri added Friday: "In my job, I always have to assume we're going forward with the team that I have. If there was a miscommunication there, I do apologize to DeMar and his family and his representation. It's not what I meant."

Whether it was a miscommunication or not, Ujiri probably wasn't being flat-out deceptive when he spoke to DeRozan. Perhaps at that time he really didn't have any plans to move the All-Star. But things can change pretty quick in the NBA, as we've seen time and again. Still, it was the right thing to do for Ujiri to apologize. 

And clearly Ujiri thinks highly of DeRozan, as he also called him the "greatest player" in Raptors franchise history. 

This was just a very difficult situation, and it probably wasn't easy for Ujiri to pull the trigger on the deal, but ultimately he had to do what was best for the Raptors from a basketball perspective. And adding a top-five player in the league is pretty much always going to be the best thing to do, even if it costs you a player -- and person -- like DeRozan.